1. Optimal Classroom Experience
Ph.D research project of TU/e and Hanze UAS
Henk W. Brink Ph.D student / senior lecturer Facility Management
Department of the Built Environment

2. Optimal Classroom Experience (OCE)
Ph.D research project of TU/e and Hanze UAS
Henk W. Brink Ph.D student / senior lecturer Facility Management
Department of the Built Environment

3. Involved parties / persons
Prof. dr. Helianthe Kort, supervisor (TU/e, HU)
Dr. Mark Mobach, first supervisor (HG, HH)
Dr. Marcel Loomans, second supervisor (TU/e)
Henk W. Brink MSc, Ph.D student (TU/e, HG)
Optimal Classroom Experience

4. Curriculum Vitae Henk W. Brink
Henk W. Brink, MSc, Ph.D student (TU/e, HG)
Bachelor Facility Management (HG)
European Master of Facility Management (University of Greenwich)
Work experience
Senior Lecturer Facility Management / Researcher Facility Management, Knowledge Centre Northern Area Development
Facility Manager Project Manager Shared Service Centre Police Department Northern Netherlands for facility services / Forerunner of the National Police Force
Commercial Office Employee and Project Manager, Ahrend Inrichten
Employee Food and Beverage department, The Lodge at Vail, Orient-Express Hotels, Colorado USA
Optimal Classroom Experience

5. Ph.D research project Focus on:
Indoor environmental conditions (Frontczak & Wargocki, 2011):
indoor air quality (IAQ)
thermal comfort
acoustic comfort
visual comfort
Classrooms higher education
Educational outcome
Frontczak, M., & Wargocki, P. (2011). Literature survey on how different factors influence human comfort in indoor environments, Building and Environment, 46 (4),
Optimal Classroom Experience

6. Current situation Interesting facts:
Research over the last decade at schools shows that classroom conditions are far from optimal and in some cases even unhealthy and affect the performance of teachers and students negatively (Wargocki & Wyon, 2017; De Gids, 2007; Shaughnessy et al., 2006; Tiesler & Oberdörster, 2006; EPA, n.d.).
The Dutch Community Health Services of Groningen (GGD, 2009) has recently investigated the quality of the IAQ at schools. This research shows that levels of carbon dioxide concentrations were classified as unacceptable in 97% of the classrooms of secondary schools and in 86% of the classrooms of primary schools
No indication that the situation is different in higher education
References
Wargocki, P. Wyon D.P., Matysiak B., & Irgens S. (2005). The effect of classroom temperature and outdoor supply rate on the performance of school work by children. Indoor Air: Proceedings of the 10th international conference on indoor air quality and climate, Beijing, China,
De Gids, W.F. (2007). Ventilatie in scholen, TVVL Magazine 36 (5),
Shaughnessy, R. J., Haverinen‐Shaughnessy, U., Nevalainen, A., & Moschandreas, D. (2006), A preliminary study on the association between ventilation rates in classrooms and student performance. Indoor Air, 16, doi: /j
Haverinen-Shaughnessy, U., & Shaughnessy, R.J. (2015). Effects of Classroom Ventilation Rate and Temperature on Students’ Test Scores, PLoS ONE 10 (10):1371. doi: /journal.pone
Tiesler, G., & Oberdörster, M. (2006). Noise - A Stress Factor? Acoustic Ergonomics of Schools. EuroNoise. Tampere, Finland: May 30 - June 1.
EPA (n.d.). Why Indoor Air Quality is Important to Schools. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved from
GGD (2009). Binnenmilieu op scholen en kinderdagverblijven. Retrieved from
Optimal Classroom Experience

7. Definition of a school climate (Wang & Degol, 2016)
References
Wang, M. T., & Degol, J. L. (2016). School climate: A review of the construct, measurement, and impact on student outcomes. Educational Psychology Review, 28(2),
Optimal Classroom Experience

8. Influence of the indoor environment on educational outcome
An introduction:
Environmental adequacy indicates the physical characteristics of the facility, such as temperature, lighting, sound, and maintenance.
An optimal learning environment requires appropriate heating and air conditioning, ample forms of lighting, necessary acoustical control, and upkeep of maintenance
The quality of physical features affects teaching effectiveness and instructional practices which in turn affect student achievement.
Wang, M. T., & Degol, J. L. (2016). School climate: A review of the construct, measurement, and impact on student outcomes. Educational Psychology Review, 28(2),
Environmental adequacy indicates the physical characteristics of the facility, such as temperature, lighting, sound, and maintenance. An optimal learning environment requires appropriate heating and air conditioning, ample forms of lighting, necessary acoustical control, and upkeep of maintenance (Buckley et al.2004; Freiberg 1998; Uline and Tschannen-Moran 2008).The quality of physical features affects teaching effectiveness and instructional practices (Dawson and Parker 1998),which in turn affect student achievement.
Derived from
Wang, M. T., & Degol, J. L. (2016). School climate: A review of the construct, measurement, and impact on student outcomes. Educational Psychology Review, 28(2),
Optimal Classroom Experience

9. Assessment of quality Following the Donabedian (1988) approach
Donabedian, A. (1988). The quality of care: how can it be assessed?. Archives of pathology & laboratory medicine, 121(11), Retrieved from
Optimal Classroom Experience

10. Quality criteria in education, three categories
Laevers (1994)
Laevers, F. (1994). The innovative project Experiential Education and the definition of quality in education. Defining and assessing quality in early childhood education, Retrieved from
Optimal Classroom Experience

11. OCE Conceptual framework
<- Structure -> < Proces > <- Outcome ->
Optimal Classroom Experience

12. OCE main research question
To what extend supports the Dutch standards related to indoor environmental conditions for classrooms the alertness and vitality of teachers and students in higher education, the quality of the lessons and knowledge transfer (dissemination, absorption), and education outcome (knowledge, skills)? And can education outcome be positively influenced when state of the art innovations are applied to improve the indoor environment in classrooms in higher education?
Optimal Classroom Experience

13. Research questions (1)
What is the influence of the indoor environment on teachers and students in higher education? (desk research)
What is the influence on users, interactions, and outcome in a controlled setting when quality class B specifications will individually be improved to quality class A specifications? (quantitative, experimental and control groups)
How can an ideal indoor environment be created in a standard classroom (Structured group communication process)
Optimal Classroom Experience

14. Research questions (2)
What is the influence on users, interactions, and outcome in a controlled setting when a classroom that meets quality class A specifications will individually be improved to a state of the art classroom (quality class A+)? (quantitative, experimental and control groups)
How effective are the Dutch specifications for the indoor environment with respect to the educational process and how can the outcome be improved and translated into a practice-based specification and measurement tool for higher education? (desk research, practice-based tests, interviews)
Optimal Classroom Experience

15. End of presentation
Optimal Classroom Experience 17 mei 2018, Lectoraat FM

16. Influence of the indoor environment on educational outcome
An introduction:
Thermal conditions are important, they influence the performance or attendance of students and may even cause health risks (Mendell & Heat, 2005)
The presence of daylight improves student performance (Heschong et al., 2002)
Eye symptoms and tiredness were more common at lower lightning levels in schools (Sahlberg et al., 2002)
Treasure (2007) has argued that poor acoustics may have negative effects on teacher-student interactions: students can potentially miss 50% of teachers’ communication
References
Mendell, M.J., & Heath, G.A. (2005). Do indoor pollutants and thermal conditions in schools influence student performance? A critical review of the literature. Indoor Air, 15(1), doi: /j x
Heschong, L., Wright, R. L., & Okura, S. (2002). Daylighting impacts on human performance in school. Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, 31(2), doi: /
Sahlberg, B., Wieslander, G., & Norbäck, D. (2010). Sick building syndrome in relation to domestic exposure in sweden - A cohort study from 1991 to Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 38(3), doi: /
Treasure, J. (2011). Sound business Management Books 2000 Limited.
Wargocki, P., & Wyon, D.P. (2017). Ten questions concerning thermal and indoor air quality effects on the performance of office work and schoolwork. Building and Environment, 112, doi.org/ /j.buildenv
Optimal Classroom Experience